How to Watch No. 24 Women’s Nebraska Basketball vs. Illinois with Preview, Breakdown, TV Channel

Don't be mistaken, basketball in the Big Ten can be a heartbreaker, and the No. 24 Nebraska women's basketball team is learning that the hard way.

After overcoming a 13-point halftime deficit, the Huskers were on track to snap their recent two-game skid on the road against an improved Badger team, but then Wisconsin flipped the script, outpunching NU 10-2 in the final 3:30 of the game to stun Nebraska 63-60 in Madison.

It marks the third-straight loss for the Huskers, who slipped to 3-5 in their first eight Big Ten games and have lost in five of the past seven after starting the season 12-0. Eliza Maupin secured a double-double with 13 points and 13 rebounds, but Amiah Hargrove led NU with 15 points. Plus, Britt Prince reached double figures with 11 points and a game-high five steals.

Still trying to find answers in the middle of the Big Ten meat grinder, Nebraska returns to the friendly confines of Pinnacle Bank Arena to face off against an Illinois team that's receiving votes in the AP Poll and has been ranked for a portion of the season. Here's all you need to know for Saturday's "Pack PBA" event in Lincoln.

How to Follow Along

Matchup: No. 24 Nebraska (14-5, 3-5 B1G) vs. Illinois (15-4, 5-3 B1G)
When: Saturday, January 24
Where: Pinnacle Bank Arena, Lincoln, Neb.
Time: 1 p.m. CST
Watch: Big Ten Network
Listen: Huskers Radio Network and Affiliates

Illinois Scout

Head Coach

Shauna Green | 4th season at Illinois; 10th as HC
78-39 (.667) at Illinois; 234-114 (.672) Career Record
5x NCAA Tournament Apps., WBIT Champions (2024)
5x Atlantic Regular Season, 2x Atlantic 10 Tournament
Previous head coach at Dayton and Loras
Previous assistant at Northwestern, Dayton, Providence, and Loras

2024-2025 Record & Awards

22-10 (11-7 B1G, T-5th)
All-B1G: 1x First Team, 1x Second Team, 1x Honorable Mention

All-Time Series

Nebraska leads 21-8
March 6, 2024, B1G Tournament Second Round last matchup, 74-70 NU

Illinois forward Berry Wallace (20) has transformed into one of the Big Ten's best players as just a sophomore. | Robert Hanashiro-Imagn Images

Key Returners

Gretchen Dolan | G | R-Soph. | Missed most of the season last year, but has returned to pour in over 13 points per game in starting 17 games as a third-year sophomore.
Berry Wallace | F | Soph. | A nine-point scorer off the bench last year as a freshman, the Ohio native leads Illinois with nearly 20 points and seven rebounds per game as one of the Big Ten's stars.
Jasmine Brown-Hagger | G | Jr. | Another key bench piece last season, the junior guard is a full-time starter this season.
Lety Vasconcelos | C | R-Soph. | After missing the entire 2024-2025 season due to injury, the former Baylor transfer and 6-foot-7 center chips in over three points and rebounds per game across all 19 contests.

Key Departures

Kendall Bostic | F | Graduated | Departed as the program's all-time leader in rebounds and led the conference in rebounds per game in all four seasons; is now the Assistant Director of Development for the Athletic Department
Genesis Bryant | G | Graduated | Fifth-year guard that was selected to the All-Big Ten Second Team after scoring 14.9 PPG and shooting 39.5% in 177 three-point attempts
Adalia McKenzie | G | Graduated | Scored nearly 1,500 career points for the Illini while putting up 13.5 PPG as a senior with 4.9 rebounds per contest.
Brynn Shoup-Hill | F | Graduated | 32-game starter in her final college basketball season, producing five points and rebounds per game.

Illinois' Kendall Bostic (44) led the Big Ten in rebounding for four-straight seasons. | Rich Janzaruk/Herald-Times / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Impact Transfers/Newcomers

Cearah Parchment | F | Fr. | The Canadian has had an outstanding freshman season, being one of four players averaging double figures (11.3 PPG) and leading the team with 7.9 rebounds per contest.
Maddie Webber | G | Jr. | Illinois' weapon off the bench, Webber transferred from Villanova and now averages over 11 points per game as a reserve.
Destiny Jackson | G | Fr. | Starting in all 19 games, the true freshman scores nearly eight points per game and grabs four rebounds.
Aaliyah Guyton | G | Soph. | Made 29 appearances in her first college season at Iowa and now adds 6.5 PPG in Champaign.

Outlook

Coming off the deepest NCAA Tournament run of her career, Illinois head coach Shauna Green experienced a changing of the guard from the player side. Four-time All-Big Ten honoree forward Kendall Bostic led the conference in rebounds per game in all of the last four seasons. Genesis Bryant left behind her nearly 15 points per game as an All-Big Ten Second Team pick. Plus, another dynamic scorer, Adalia McKenzie, exhausted her eligibility.

Despite losing its top three scorers from last season, Illinois and Green leaned on the development of its own recruits, leading to the emergence of true sophomore Berry Wallace, who's fourth in the conference in scoring (19.6 PPG) and grabs nearly seven rebounds per game. Sophomore Gretchen Dolan missed most of the season last year, but has returned to be second on the team in scoring with 13.6, while 6-foot-7 center Lety Vasconcelos chips in over three points and rebounds per game.

Illinois forward Cearah Parchment has averaged double figures with 7.9 rebounds per game as a freshman from Canada. | Illinois Athletics

Canadian freshman Cearah Parchment has been a revelation for Illinois as she's adding over 11 points per game and grabbing a team-high 7.9 rebounds per game, which is a top-five mark in the conference. Villanova transfer Maddie Webber scores 11 off the bench while true freshman Destiny Jackson (7.9 PPG) and Iowa transfer Aaliyah Guyton (6.5 PPG) also factor into the rotation.

It's a solid roster for Illinois, which has done well in the roster-building aspect of today's game after losing program pillars in Bostic and Bryant. Expecting a loud and rowdy crowd at Pinnacle Bank Arena, something about this matchup doesn't feel right. I don't know what it is, but with the recent run of form, give me Nebraska.

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